Author Archives: Benj

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About Benj

I’m a native North Jerseyan, transplanted to Pennsylvania...lived and taught in Eastern Europe for six years…Old Testament professor, author, minister, musician, liturgist…husband to Corrie…father to Daniel and Elizabeth.

Sermon: A Doctor for the Sick (Mark 2:13–17)

This is the audio (29:58, 10.2 MB) of a sermon I preached at New Calvary Church in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on March 10, 2024. The Scripture text is Mark 2:13–17. Continue reading

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Sermons on Deuteronomy 4:5–13 and 7:1–16

Here are two sermons I preached recently at Leesburg Presbyterian Church, Leesburg, PA. The videos are hosted on YouTube, and queued to the start of the sermon: “Deuteronomy 4:5–13: So That It May Go Well With You.” (January 28, 2024) … Continue reading

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Sermon: Hidden Glory (Mark 9:1–13)

This is the audio (32:43, 22.4 MB) of a sermon I preached at Redeemer Presbyterian Church (EPC) in Erie, PA, on February 11, 2024. The Scripture text is Mark 9:1–13. Continue reading

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Sermon: An Eternal King (2 Samuel 7:8-16, 22-24)

A sermon I preached at the Mill Street (5th-12th grades) campus of Grove City Christian Academy on February 2, 2024. Continue reading

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Sermon: Hard-Baked, or Soft Hearts? (Jeremiah 18–19)

This is the audio (21:22, 16.9 MB) of a sermon I preached at the Madison Avenue (elementary) campus of Grove City Christian Academy back on December 8, 2023. The audience was preschool through 4th-grade students, and my texts were excerpts from Jeremiah 18–19. Continue reading

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Did the Medium of En-dor Really See Samuel’s Spirit?

I had a student last year who wrote a paper on 1 Samuel 28 in South Asian context. It was a very interesting paper, informed by his Christian community’s encounters with spiritualists and mediums. One of the things that we discovered as he was doing his research, as that historic Christian interpreters have been divided on the question of what exactly the medium (and possibly Saul) actually witnessed when she conjured Samuel’s elohim. Continue reading

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Plagiarism Does Not Disqualify Harvard’s President

The fact that President Gay has not been fired tells you what kind of institution Harvard is, and what their leaders understand is the role of the president. Continue reading

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Are Israel’s Salvation and Land-Grant Unique in the Bible?

It is interesting to consider the Hebrew Bible’s reflections on YHWH-orchestrated exodoi, migrations and conquests, besides the Israelite exodus from Egypt and the conquest of Canaan. Continue reading

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Conference Paper: “‘Gods Your Ancestors Have Not Known’ in Deuteronomy: The Devil You Know?”

I’ve posted the version of the paper I read at ETS in November 2023, the full title of which is: “‘Gods Your Ancestors Have Not Known’ in Deuteronomy: Is the Devil You Know Better than the Devil You Don’t Know?” … Continue reading

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Project Fundraising: A Biblical Theology

As a pastor who is also a biblical scholar, I felt that there were many different passages that could be used to develop a biblical theology of fundraising, and I presented those to Session as part of our process. I’m presenting these here for the benefit of churches who are contemplating fundraising for a building project, especially a building/addition used for recreation or other ancillary ministries (i.e., not a sanctuary for worship). Continue reading

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